Model Update

Now this is cool! The latest Kia Sorento has the funkiest design. Sleek and slender headlights provide the facial impact that the Sorento is looking for, and the silky lines of the big SUV bodywork provide plenty of visual impact. Parked up at any traffic lights, you will have others drooling your direction, as they look over what is one of the best looking SUVs.

Capable off-road would be a description that undermines the new Kia Sorento. The AWD ability can go far beyond a muddy paddock, riverbed or forestry track. The part time 4WD system makes normal roadwork economical, but when the going gets tough the vehicle can be locked into full time 4WD. There is a dedicated 2WD version available, too.

Effortless performance, deluxe cabin appointments and premium safety gives the new Kia Sorento owner a satisfied peace of mind. And with a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll have the best SUV deal in town.

At first glance, the Kia Sorento looks like a Smart urban car with a bit more height than usual. It would be hard to believe that this is a vehicle that conquered a real 4×4 challenge.

In 2005, the Swedish driver and adventurer Christer Gerlach drove a Kia Sorento around the world in a full global circuit (the limited edition Sorento Global Circuit commemorates this feat). Obviously, Gerlach couldn’t drive his Kia Sorento across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans but he went overland from Stockholm straight east across the trackless wastes of Siberia and Mongolia to the Kia Sorento’s home in South Korea before crossing over the Pacific to continue this epic journey, this time along the legendary Route 66 in the USA before another ocean crossing and a quick jaunt through Germany and Denmark. And four months after leaving, Gerlach and his Kia Sorento arrived back in Stockholm.

The Kia Sorento that performed this amazing journey was not some specially equipped and tweaked vehicle; it was the perfectly standard 3.5 litre V6 automatic version with normal road tyres (the commemorative version, the Kia Sorento Global Circuit is a 3.8 litre). All that went wrong with the Kia Sorento in the entire tour was two rather ordinary (some would say predictable) punctures. That’s 27,000 km of reliable performance even in the most punishing of conditions. Gerlach was right to perform his feat solo with no support team – unless you count the Kia Sorento design team back in South Korea as his support team.

Gerlach said that the Kia Sorento was “remarkably comfortable” and he finished the journey “fatigue free”.

You might not want to drive around the world, but owning a car with this level of 4×4 capacity and this level of reliability sounds very attractive to me. And lumbar support seats that you can literally spend 120 days in and still refer to as comfortable are certainly to be appreciated by anyone, even in a quick trip to pick up kids and groceries. Other interior features that make the Kia Sorento a special, comfortable drive include the alloy pedals, cruise control, a leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shift, dual front vanity mirrors, a six-speaker stereo with tweeters, dual-zone climate control, three 12-volt power outlets, and oodles of storage space that includes an under-floor compartment in the cargo space. The digital readout that incorporates a compass, altimeter, barometer and thermometer is handy if you’re having a weekend adventure – and even if you aren’t up to duplicating Gerlach’s feat, it could prove handy for more mundane uses (a school project on weather?).

With shift-on-the-fly high and low ratio four wheel drive that’s selectable when off roading, limited slip differential and free-running front differential, 184 mm of ground clearance, and nimble approach and departure angles, the Kia Sorento is a genuinely useful off-roader – just in case you hadn’t realised this by now. On the tarmac, the Kia Sorento performs well, the standard 2.4 litre petrol motor pumping out 128kW at 6000 rpm, and with Continuously Variable Valve Timing the motor has excellent fuel economy and reduced fuel emissions compared with previous petrol units. The maximum torque of 226 Nm is reached at 3750 rpm, however the torque curve is wide and flat for relaxed and responsive motoring. A smooth 6-speed auto is standard, and is the perfect match for all on and off-road jaunts.

If you like the thought of owning a diesel Sorento, then the 2.2-litre CRDi will match your requests perfectly. Leading edge technology makes the brand new Kia diesel engine a force to be reckoned with. The maximum power is 145 kW that is complimented superbly with a responsive and colossal torque figure that is maximised from a low 1800 rpm at 422 Nm! This is achieved while meeting the latest Euro clean emissions requirements. The standard 6-speed manual which is tipronic in style works superbly with the engine to provide the driver with excellent performance. One thing is for sure, you will always find that both engines are very capable of hauling a decent load on any family-packed adventure. Of course, with over 400 Nm of torque in diesel form, this would be the model of choice.

Gerlach’s feat is bound to make a great movie one day (you read that here first). But even if your horizons are more limited, you’ll be able to have an adventure of your own in the new Kia Sorento.

The current model series includes the:

• Sorento Si
• Sorento SLi
• Sorento Platinum

For any more information on the Kia Sorento, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Kia dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

Back to Kia Car Reviews